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Home , History of Berlin, Iron Curtain

Securitizing : The Legacy of the

EKATERINA MIZROKHI URBAN STUDIES, LEVEL III, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Abstract I. Introduction

Since the , the city of Berlin has experi- To fully understand Berlin as a globalized city re- enced profound forces of globalization, facilitated by the quires an examination of the securitizing infl uence of the movement of people, capital and ideas across its borders. . The Wall was constructed by the Soviets at the Richard Weizsaecker once said, “…in good and evil, Berlin height of the Cold War in 1961, separating the Allied forces is the trustee of German history, which has left its scars in the West from the Soviet forces in the East. This barrier here as nowhere else.”1 The city is ground zero for some bisected Berlin and was heavily securitized with guard tow- of the most infl uential confl icts of the , and it ers, trenches and death strips*, resulting in a splintering of is this complicated history that gives Berlin its unique global the city centre.2 Berlin was marked by a “concrete physical identity. Through a literature review, this paper will analyze scar four metres high” that partitioned the city into East how the Berlin Wall affected the way in which the city of and West.3 Berlin had morphed into a division between Berlin participated in the process of globalization. The se- two ideologies: and . The Wall was curitization of Berlin by means of the Wall was responsible dismantled in 1989, and although the city has been offi cially for uneven fl ows of capital, people, and ideas into the two unifi ed for a quarter of a century, the legacy of the Berlin halves of the city. Even long after German Reunifi cation, Wall persists to this day. The securitization of the city by the peculiar geographic legacies of the Berlin Wall perpetu- way of the Berlin Wall has resulted in a legacy of uneven ate an informal division between East and that geographies of globalization due to the different ways East persists to this day. Berlin and West Berlin experienced the global fl ows of capital, people and ideas. Uneven Flows of Capital

1 Ladd, Brian. The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban Landscape. (Chicago, IL: U of Chicago. 1997). 3. *Aside from the symbolic concrete fence of the Berlin Wall, the area adja- cent to it called the “death strip” contained electric fences, trenches, beds of nails, and was constantly patrolled by border guards. 2Coaffee, Jon. and Murakami Wood, David. “Security is Coming Home: Rethinking Scale and Constructing Resilience in the Global Urban Response to Terrorist Risk.” International Relations. 20(4). (2006). 509. 3Saunders, Anna. “Remembering Cold War Division: Wall Remnants and Border Monuments in Berlin”. Journal of Contemporary European Studies. (2009). 17:1. 10. | 20 | II. Uneven Flow of Capital continues to informally divide the city along East-West divisions. The securitized separation of Berlin by way of the Berlin Wall is responsible for uneven global capital III. Uneven Flow of People fl ows, which privileged the economic development of West Berlin. was under the socialist regime As a measure of securitization, the Berlin Wall of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), who was largely meant to control the inward and outward rejected Western models of market economies.4 West fl ow of people. The legacy of the Berlin Wall resulted Berlin, however, existed under a system of market capi- in distinct patterns of migration and settlement in the talism, profi ting from a 30-year head start that allowed city, which continue to perpetuate the informal divide for the establishment of a strong corporate presence between East and West. The most evident contrast is in and integration into the globalizing economic market the ethnic composition of migrants. Of the one million of the 20th century. Come reunifi cation in 1990, east- migrants living in Berlin today, West Berlin is home to ern industries had to compete with their more effi cient approximately 300 000 Turkish migrants who arrived in and established western counterparts, in which many West as guest workers.14 To this day, Turkish eastern German companies went bankrupt5, while some immigrants distribute themselves unevenly across the disappeared completely.6 To this day, very few company city, clustering in enclaves that are historically localized in headquarters are located in the East, as it lacks the global West Berlin. These isolated groupings tend to function as functioning capabilities, such as trade and fi nancial infl u- parallel societies that fi nd social and economic support ence that global corporate headquarters require.7 Gov- networks within their own ethnic communities, creating ernment subsidies worth hundreds of billions of euros “self-organized living environments that avoid communi- have not been able to successfully alleviate the disparity8, cation with the majority society.”15 These parallel societ- further perpetuating East Berlin’s isolation from the glo- ies of Turkish migrants experience increasing impov- balized economic system of capital fl ows compared to erishment and alienation16, which results in pockets of West Berlin. Capitalism proved to be a better system for socioeconomic disparity throughout the city, along with creating wealth and raising living standards than Soviet the development of massive class inequalities in employ- communism9, but even post-reunifi cation, East Berlin’s ment, education, security, housing and the right to the wages and pensions are signifi cantly lower than in the city.17 Conversely, the Berlin Wall isolated West.10 Additionally, the unemployment rate in Berlin is from everyone but the Communist Bloc, which is why not evenly spread, with the former West experiencing approximately 500 000 Russian, Polish and Vietnamese far better employment levels than the East.11 Although migrants are found concentrated in East Berlin.18 The securitizing the city limited global capital fl ows and eco- distinct demographic compositions and spatial organiza- nomic prosperity in East Berlin, the city has made efforts tion of migrants has turned these ethnic enclaves into to improve economic inequality. In fact, since reunifi ca- “diasporic spaces”19 that boast distinct cultures, norms tion, West Berlin has dedicated more than $2 trillion in and institutions in both East and West. In order to fully economic aid in an attempt to help the East12, and East understand the history, patterns, and implications of mi- Berlin has made some progress in catching up to the per gration in both East and West Berlin, it must be explored capita income of the West.13 Nonetheless, the securitiza- as both a multicultural and securitized city. Although the tion of Berlin and the uneven capital fl ows have cre- Wall tore through the heart of Berlin, it planted the seed ated a polarized landscape of economic prosperity that for its complex multicultural identity.

4Hardt, John. “East-Central European Economies in Transition”. (1995). 10 Kratke, 515. ISBN 1-56324-612-0 11 Noack, 3. 5 Noack, Rick. “The Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago, but Germany is still 12 Matthews, 4. divided.” The Washington Post. October 31, 2014. Accessed October 10, 13 Noack, 3. 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/the-berlin-wall-fell-25-years- 14 Kil, Wolfgang. “From to Marzahn: New Migrant Communities ago-but-germany-is-still-divided/. 2. in Berlin.” German Politics and Society. (2006). 81:24. No. 4. 99. 6 Kratke, Stefan. “City of Talents? Berlin’s Regional Economy, Socio-Spatial 15 Ibid, 99. Fabric and ‘Worst Practice’ Urban Governance.” International Journal of 16 Ibid, 100. Urban and Regional Research. (2004). 28:3. 514. 17 Balibar, Etienne. “Uprisings in the Banlieues”. Constellations. 14(1). 7 Beaverstock, Jonathan. “A Roster of World Cities.” Cities, 16(6). (1999). (2007). 57. 469. 18 Kil, 113. 8 Dick, Wolfgang. Germans still have ‘walls in heads’. Deutsche Welle. March 19 Ibid, 97. 10, 2013. Accessed October 10, 2015. http://www.dw.de/germans-still- have-walls-in-heads/a-17131880, 3. 9 Matthews, Chris. “Poor Germany: Why the east will never catch up to the west.” Time Inc: Fortune. November 9, 2014. Accessed October 10, 2015. | 21 | http://fortune.com/2014/11/09/germany-east-west-economy. 4. Nevertheless, it is potentially limiting to conceptualize distances during the rapidly globalizing 20th century, the securitization of Berlin and the fl ow of people in the securitizing infl uence of the Berlin Wall facilitated a a strictly binary manner. Although the Iron Curtain is time-space decompression that slowed the global fl ow of arguably one of the most commanding symbols of the ideas into the East along with the West. The movement 20th century, it is crucial to understand that it was not of ideas as a function of globalization forms the founda- an impermeable membrane, and that the experiences of tion of Berlin’s identity as it is known today. The notion easterners and westerners were not completely separate. of a modern, unifi ed Berlin is one that implies the vic- Countless documented cases exist of people crossing the tory of capitalism over communism – it is the infi ltration border in both directions. While three million East Ger- of Western ideals into what once was a largely socialist mans may have crossed into the West as refugees, there city.25 were still more than half a million West German idealists who crossed into the East, believing in the promises of The Berlin Wall was not just a physical barrier communism.20 Ultimately, the Berlin Wall’s securitizing that partitioned the city; it marked the division between force regulated the global fl ows of people, facilitating a capitalism and communism, who “rubbed against one reshuffl ing of Berlin’s population according to ideolo- another like seismic plates at the fl ashpoint.”26 This clash gies, and creating distinct patterns of migration and can still be felt today, due to the construction of par- ethnic segregation that exist to this day. ticular geographical imaginations from both sides that continue to alienate one another. East Germans still see IV. Uneven Flow of Ideas West Germans as arrogant, materialistic, bureaucratic and superfi cial27 while westerners see easterners as sour, When people move, so do ideas, which is why the Berlin mistrustful and anxious28, hypothesized to be a product Wall’s securitizing legacy extends past the uneven fl ow of of a lack of friendship and contact between the East and migrants, to facilitate uneven manifestations of ideolo- West.29 These prejudices persist as “the Wall in peoples gies. The Berlin Wall affected the way both halves of heads”30, which is why they still do not feel like they be- Berlin experienced global fl ows of ideas. East Berlin, for long to one nation.31 Many East Germans even go as far example, was limited to media, literature and propaganda as to say that they feel like second-class citizens because largely from the Communist Bloc.21 The Wall operated they continue to live under discriminatory conditions.32 as an ideological checkpoint that restricted the fl ow of The securitization of Berlin via the Berlin Wall caused certain ideas and policies from one half of the city to the an uneven fl ow of ideas, policies, and even psychological other. For example, the environmental civil movement in divides between easterners and westerners that still exist the late 20th century only penetrated the West, which is to this day. why West Berlin still has more environmentally friendly The movement of ideas as a infrastructure and policies than the East.22 Despite West “function of globalization forms Berlin being free to consume ideas and information the foundation of Berlin’s globally, since the city of Berlin was entirely located in identity as it is known today. East Germany, West Berlin was an “island of freedom”23 ” located in the middle of the GDR. In fact, West Berlin’s physical connection to , and subsequently However, this rhetoric is problematic because the rest of the world, was limited to a handful of rail understanding the Berlin Wall simply as a barrier be- tracks and air corridors.24 Rather than experiencing a tween two worlds creates polarizing narratives that do time-space compression facilitated by technological in- not accurately depict historical complexity.33 Popular novations that seemed to condense spatial and temporal rhetoric states that the East was an evil, communist

20 Saunders, 9. 25 Bader, Ingo. “Berlin’s waterfront site struggle”. City: Analysis of urban 21 De Wijs, Christophe. “Media and Transition in central and eastern trends, culture, theory, policy, action. 13:2-3, (2009). 12. A comparison between the German Democratic Republic and 26 Richie, 15. ”. Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. (2009).10. 27 Dick, 6. 22 Noack, 2. 28 Ibid. 23 Brown, S. “West Berlin recalls ‘island’ of freedom that vanished with Wall. 29 Ibid. Reuters. November 7, 2014. Accessed October 10, 2015. http://www. 30 Saunders, 11. reuters.com/article/us-germany-wall-westberlin-idUSKBN0I 31 Dick, 4. R1EX20141108 32 Noack, 2. 24 Richie, Alexandra. Faust’s Metropolis: A History of Berlin. (New York: Basic 33 Segert, Dieter. “The GDR Intelligentsia and its Forgotten Political Role Book, 1999). during the Wende of 1989.”Debatte, Journal of Contemporary Central and | 22 | . (2009). 17:2. 145. dictatorship, while the West was democratic, capitalist Works Cited and free. However, this kind of binary thinking is inac- Bader, Ingo. “Berlin’s waterfront site struggle”. City: Analysis of urban trends, culture, theory, policy, action. 13:2-3, (2009). 325-225 curate and dangerous as it creates competing narratives that depict the East enveloped by the victory of western Balibar, Etienne. “Uprisings in the Banlieues”. Constellations. 14(1). (2007). .34 This belief transforms the Berlin Wall into 47-71. an apparatus whose sole purpose was to secure the West Beaverstock, Jonathan. “A Roster of World Cities.” Cities, 16(6). (1999). from the corruption of the East. Even before Berlin was 445-485. reunifi ed, these morally absolute narratives construct a Brown, Stephen. “West Berlin recalls ‘island’ of freedom that vanished dichotomy of right and wrong of fi rst and second-class with Wall. Reuters, November 7, 2014. Accessed October 10, 2015. citizens. The narrative of western superiority invalidates http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-wall-westberlin-idUSK the experiences, wisdom and unique expertise of mil- BN0IR1EX20141108 35 lions of individuals in East Berlin. Not only does this Coaffee, Jon. and Murakami Wood, David. “Security is Coming Home: narrative overlook problematic realities in the West, such Rethinking Scale and Constructing Resilience in the Global Urban as the fact that many ex-Nazis were found in positions Response to Terrorist Risk.” International Relations. 20(4). (2006). 503- 517. of political power there36, but it also perpetuates the informal divide and alienation of East and West. It must Delaney, David. “The Political Construction of Scale.” Pergamon: Journal of be stressed that historical narratives are “continually con- Political Geography. Vol. 16. (1997). 0962-6298/97. 37 structed as the result of the politics of history” , and to De Wijs, Christophe. “Media and Transition in central and eastern Europe comprehend how the securitization of Berlin resulted in A comparison between the German Democratic Republic and uneven fl ows of ideas, we must view the past as a his- Hungary”. Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. (2009). 10. torically open situation to avoid oversimplifi cations and Dick, Wolfgang. Germans still have ‘walls in heads’. Deutsche Welle. March 10, misrepresentations of history.38 2013. Accessed October 10, 2015. http://www.dw.com/en/germans- still-have-walls-in-heads/a-17131880

V. Conclusion Hardt, John. “East-Central European Economies in Transition”. (1995). ISBN 1-56324-612-0

The Iron Curtain may have fallen 25 years ago, Jarausch, Konrad. Shattered Past: The Landscape of Lost Narratives. Oxford but its infl uence is as strong as ever. The Berlin Wall, Journals of German History. (2003). 978-0-691-05936-5. which marked a feat of economic, social and political Kil, Wolfgang. “From Kreuzberg to Marzahn: New Migrant Communities in securitization, partitioned Berlin into two halves. Due Berlin.” German Politics and Society. (2006). 81:24. No. 4. 95-121. to the securitizing nature of the Berlin Wall, the ways in which the globalizing fl ows of capital, people, and ideas Kratke, Stefan. “City of Talents? Berlin’s Regional Economy, Socio-Spatial Fabric and ‘Worst Practice’ Urban Governance.” International Journal of manifested themselves in the city was largely uneven, and Urban and Regional Research. (2004). 28:3. 511-29. has created informal divisions between East and West that persist to this day. The Wall created disparities in Ladd, Brian. The Ghosts of Berlin: Confronting German History in the Urban economic prosperity, clashes of ideologies, and distinct Landscape. (Chicago, IL:U of Chicago. 1997). ethnic segregation in the East and West. The uneven Matthews, Chris. “Poor Germany: Why the east will never catch up to the global ties contribute to Berlin’s peculiar polarized urban west.” Time Inc: Fortune. November 9, 2014. Accessed October 10, 2015. landscape, which is an integral part of the city’s contem- http://fortune.com/2014/11/09/germany-east-west-economy/ porary identity. However, the Wall is not a life sentence, McFarlane, Colin. “Governing the Contaminated City: Infrastructure and nor is it a permanent blemish that Berlin must bear; its Sanitation in Colonial and Post-Colonial Bombay.” (2008). International Jour- legacy is a mere ripple effect of stigma and historical nal of Urban and Regional Research. 32(2): 415-435. precedence. As a new generation steps up to the plate – a Noack, Rick. “The Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago, but Germany is still generation of young adults who have never experienced divided.” The Washington Post. October 31, 2014. Accessed October 10, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world a divided Berlin – the aggressive signifi cance of the Wall views/wp/2014/10/31/the-berlin-wall-fell-25-years-ago-but-germany- will dissipate, and they will no longer brand themselves is-still-divided/ as easterners or westerners, but simply as Berliners. Richie, Alexandra. Faust’s Metropolis: A History of Berlin. (New York: Basic 34 Jarausch, Konrad. Shattered Past: The Landscape of Lost Narratives. Book, 1999). Oxford Journals of German History. (2003). 978-0-691-05936-5. 14. 35 McFarlane, Colin. “Governing the Contaminated City: Infrastructure Saunders, Anna. “Remembering Cold War Division: Wall Remnants and and Sanitation in Colonial and Post-Colonial Bombay.” (2008). Border Monuments in Berlin”. Journal of Contemporary European Studies. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 32(2): 420. (2009). 17:1. 9-19. 36 Segert, 144. 37 Delaney, David. “The Political Construction of Scale.” Pergamon: Journal of Segert, Dieter. “The GDR Intelligentsia and its Forgotten Political Role Political Geography. Vol. 16. (1997). 0962-6298/97. 21. during the Wende of 1989.”Debatte, Journal of Contemporary Central and | 23 | 38 Jarausch, 16. Eastern Europe. (2009). 17:2. 143-57.